Happy National Pet Day! Here are the best cats on screen ever
National Pet Day rolls around each April with the same reliable charm, and the screen’s most memorable cats still earn their place in the celebration. The classics hold strong, yet fresh feline faces have stepped into the frame since the original list dropped. A quick update keeps the countdown intact while adding a few new standouts that fans have been quoting and rewatching lately.
10. Orion: Men in Black (1997)
A cat so cool he carries the entire Arquillian Galaxy on his collar. Could your cat be trusted with such an almighty responsibility without losing it in a back alley scrap or while getting their ass stuck in the cat flap? Thought not.
9. Mr. Fuzzypants: Nine Lives (2016)
Critics really dumped on Nine Lives upon its release for being a heinous waste of Kevin Spacey’s acting talents and a sign that cinema is well truly in the shitter, but the movie has settled into a nostalgic comedy lane where Mr. Fuzzypants still lands. The cat being occupied by the spirit of Spacey’s billionaire bozo Tom is a total star that we want to throw catnip and toy mice at, pronto.
8. Sassy: Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
The 90s tear jerker stomped all over the tired stereotype that dogs & cats can’t possibly be friends by depicting a cautious kitty named Sassy (Sally Field) as being best pals with an American bulldog called Chance (Michael J. Fox) and Shadow (Don Ameche). She’s the voice of reason in the film and a bit of a party pooper, but when you’re going on an impulsive adventure through the Californian wilderness, somebody has to be.
7. Cat: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
Providing a totally deep metaphor for the lack of connection Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) feels to those around her as well as her unwillingness to feel tied to anyone or anything, Cat is the real heart of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Don’t believe us? Watch the ending of the movie where Holly frantically searches for Cat (and thus realizes she does have an emotional connection to something) – it’s one of the most moving moments in cinema history.
6. Puss in Boots: Shrek 2 (2004)
If you were lucky enough to be a kid when Shrek 2 came out, you likely had a bit of an awkward crush on the swashbuckling kitty voiced by perennial stud Antonio Banderas (The Skin I Live In). And honestly, who could blame you? Puss in Boots is a legit charmer and a total player with a sharp wardrobe. The character later returned in the 2022 sequel Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, proving the swashbuckler still draws crowds when the stakes turn existential. If cats were this cool in real life they’d be running the damn planet by now (and we’d probably let them).
5. Blofeld’s cat (unnamed): From Russia With Love (1963)
It’s sad that Blofeld’s cat doesn’t have a name but let’s all just take a moment to appreciate how the lap-sitting kitty was likely the true MVP of every foiled plot in every James Bond movie it appeared in – Blofeld is just a shill.
4. All of those damn jazzy felines: The Aristocats (1970)
Disney’s classic kitty cartoon (with the most dynamite Disney soundtrack ever) also happens to feature some of the greatest and quirkiest cat characters of all time. Between the outrageous alley cat jazz band, streetwise Thomas O’Malley (Phil Harris), and inheritance queen Duchess (Eva Gabor), it’s cool cats galore.
3. Mr. Bigglesworth: Austin Powers (1997)
Dr. Evil’s (Mike Myers) feline co-conspirator encounters some disastrous compilations with a cryogenic capsule that renders the little dude completely bald. Though his original white mane is legit nicer than all the luscious locks of the Film Daily newsroom put together, he’s arguably got a sassier edge to him with his bald look. Own it Bigglesworth.
2. Keanu: Keanu (2016)
Offering a shrewd twist on the devastating plot of John Wick (where Keanu Reeves’s eponymous hero is gifted a pet dog by his late wife, only to have a gang of thugs callously murder it), Jordan Peele (Get Out) & Keegan-Michael Key’s comedy instead tells the story of a heartbroken slacker (Peele) who discovers his newly acquired kitten Keanu has been stolen from his home. All kittens are cute, but as Clarence (Key) states, Keanu is the cutest. A fact made all the more apparent when his boss Chaddar (Method Man) dresses the little guy in a du-rag. He has so much attitude.
1. Jonesy: Alien (1979)
The ginger tomcat of the USCSS Nostromo is just as formidable, strong, and badass as its human Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). Jonesy saves Ripley’s ass by distracting the alien (and somehow doesn’t get slaughtered) and also manages to escape the ship and survive the whole horrific ordeal. This kitty is a boss.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
The 2022 DreamWorks sequel took the swashbuckling cat on a darker ride, forcing him to confront mortality after burning through eight of his nine lives. Puss teams up with a scrappy dog named Perrito and hunts a wishing star while dodging a wolf-shaped death omen. The film earned strong reviews for its mature tone and visual flair, proving the character still carries weight two decades after the first Shrek outing.
Goose (Captain Marvel, 2019)
Marvel’s Captain Marvel introduced Goose, an orange tabby who turns out to be a flerken, an alien species disguised as a house cat. Goose swallows the Tesseract in one memorable scene and spits out a litter of tentacles when provoked, delivering both laughs and genuine menace. The cat’s deadpan reactions became instant meme fodder and gave the MCU its first memorable feline scene-stealer since the franchise began.
Recent and Upcoming Animated Cats
Animation houses keep rolling out new cat stories that land with both kids and longtime fans. A fresh Cat in the Hat feature arrives in November 2026 with Bill Hader voicing the title trickster, promising a wilder take than the 2003 live-action version. Meanwhile the 2026 Alley Cats series follows a crew of feral cats navigating city streets and rival gangs, voiced by an ensemble that includes Ricky Gervais. Both projects keep the feline spotlight bright on screens big and small.
Documentaries and Cat-Centric Media
Non-fiction cat content has grown since the original honorable mentions. The 2022 Netflix documentary Inside the Mind of a Cat explores feline cognition with scientists and owners, while the Cat People series on the same platform profiles collectors, rescuers, and artists whose lives revolve around the animals. These titles give National Pet Day viewers a chance to swap fictional favorites for real-world behavior studies without leaving the couch.
Jonesy still tops the list because the stakes in Alien never get lower, yet the newer entries prove that screen cats keep evolving. Whether they’re swallowing cosmic cubes or chasing wishing stars, the best ones still make viewers pause the credits and look for their own pets on the nearest cushion. National Pet Day simply gives everyone an excuse to celebrate the whole roster at once.
